1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to voice messaging systems. More particularly, it relates to a telephone answering device capable of notifying a user at another telephone number based on call related information received with respect to an incoming telephone call.
2. Background of Related Art
Voice messaging systems in general, and telephone answering devices (i.e., answering machines) in particular, are useful devices for the home or office. A conventional telephone answering device operates on a single telephone line and answers an incoming call to an unused (i.e., on-hook) telephone after a desired number of rings. The telephone answering device causes the telephone line to enter an off-hook condition, then plays an outgoing greeting message to the calling party. After the outgoing greeting message, the calling party may leave a voice message on the telephone answering device. At a later time, the voice message is replayed by the user, either local to the telephone answering device or via remote connection from another telephone.
FIG. 4 illustrates a conventional telephone answering device capable of answering an incoming call on a telephone line.
In FIG. 4, a telephone answering device 11 is connected to a telephone company central office 13 via a telephone line 15. A telephone line interface (TLI) 17 in the telephone answering device 11 provides the conventional isolation, DC and AC impedance as required by telephone company standards. The telephone line interface 17 also provides a ring detect signal to a controller 19. The controller 19 may be any suitable processor, e.g., microprocessor, microcontroller, or digital signal processor (DSP). The ring detect signal indicates to the controller 19 the ringing of an incoming telephone call on the telephone line 15.
After a desired number of ring signals, the telephone answering device 11 causes the telephone line interface 17 to place the telephone line in an off-hook state, and instructs a voice recorder/playback audio module 21 to play an outgoing greeting message 43 over the telephone line 15 to the calling party. Upon completion of the outgoing greeting message, the calling party may leave a voice message in voice message memory 23 under the control of the controller 19. A keypad 25 allows the user to select various modes of operation, including the playback of voice messages.
The conventional telephone answering device 11 illustrated in FIG. 4 further includes a call related information (e.g., Calling Identity Delivery (Caller ID)) detector/receiver 27 to detect and receive call related information, e.g., the telephone number and/or household name of a calling party, from the central office over the telephone line 15. The call related information is typically displayed on a display 29 and may be logged in a call related information log 39.
By reviewing the call related information (e.g., Caller ID information) received with the ring signals of an incoming call, the user of the conventional telephone answering device 11 can determine the household name and/or telephone number of the calling party even before the calling party leaves a voice message. Basic call related information such as Caller ID information is typically transmitted from the local telephone company to the telephone answering device 11 of the called party while the called party's telephone answering device 11 and other telephones are in a hung-up or on-hook state, e.g., between the first and second rings.
Oftentimes, it is important or necessary for the user of a telephone answering device or other designated party to be immediately notified when a certain calling party leaves a voice message on the telephone answering system, when a certain number of telephone calls from a particular party have been received by the telephone answering device, or other predetermined event or events. However, with conventional telephone answering devices, the user must continually call in from a remote location to their telephone answering device to determine if any particular caller has called a number of times, etc. Moreover, remote information from a telephone answering device typically includes only voice message information without an analysis of received call related information (i.e., some callers do not always leave a voice message). Unfortunately, conventional telephone answering device do not automatically notify a user or other party upon occurrence of a predetermined event.